Like the students in Tewksbury and Lowell, a flood of Dracut High School students poured out of the main entrance at 10 a.m. Wednesday. They stood in the bitter cold and watched as senior Madelyn Jezerski climbed on a bench.

With a booming voice, she spoke about the woman for whom Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was named, and how Stoneman Douglas once encouraged others to be a nuisance where it counts and to never give up.

"I believe that today, what we are doing is living by Douglas' words. We are walking out of our classrooms and peacefully protesting gun violence, because we want to see change," Madelyn, 17, said. "I am tired of our children dying. I am tired of seeing those who went to school for a degree in education ending up as the last line of defense in an attempt at murder."

Madelyn carried a poster that read: "HOW MANY more KIDS must pay FOR THE NRA." A grey gun showed frightened children and blood-stained dollars bills coming out of its barrel.

Wednesday's walkout organized by Madelyn, fellow senior Leah McAnespie, and another senior was part of a recent national surge of high school students protesting against gun violence since last month's mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed on Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and others injured.

After addressing her peers, Madelyn said she thinks this is a great movement to "get kids up and learning that their voices can be heard.

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" She and a few other students told The Sun that school administrators last week changed the original plan of a student-led protest into more of a pep rally. Madelyn said that, to the best of her knowledge, administration did not know of Wednesday's walkout beforehand.

Leah, 18, said she thinks it's important that students stood up though the administration did not want them to say certain things about gun control.

"We need change, and we want change, and we're not going to sit back and let administration take over when this is our thing," Leah said. "This is our future."

In an email, Dracut High School Principal Richard Manley on Wednesday said student leaders had planned and organized the National School Walkout and a related debate on March 14. Heavy snow interrupted plans and the gym was offered as a venue the following day. Manley wrote that the school's debate team on Tuesday debated the topic "Resolved: American Teachers Should Be Armed."

"The events, including the debate, while supported by the school, were planned by and for students," the principal said.

Manley's email did not acknowledge the walkout organized by students on Wednesday. Multiple messages were left Wednesday for Superintendent of Schools Steven Stone.

Alyssa Bigos, 18, said she was neutral in this situation.

"I do feel very strongly about the subject, that something needs to be done," she said. "Saying no to guns isn't the answer, but stricter backgrounds and, you know, who can access them when, maybe upping the age ... 'cause an 18-year-old shouldn't be able to carry a ridiculous gun."

After about 17 minutes, the large group of students began filtering back into Dracut High's main entrance.

At Tewksbury Memorial High School, more than 400 students congregated in front of the school. They faced their student leaders who sat in seats holding signs of the names of the 17 Parkland victims. They held signs that read "TMHS Says #ENOUGH" and "It Could've Been Us."

Francesca Ligotti, a junior, captured everyone's attention with a red megaphone in hand.

"We just want change. That's all we ask for," she said, drawing applause

Hayden Pontes, another junior, emphasized the importance of being heard as students. She thanked those who showed support.

"It's not your responsibility to have your school not shot up ... We shouldn't be scared about dying in school," she said.

Many bowed their heads for a moment of silence to honor the Parkland victims.

TMHS Principal Kristen Vogel said students did an excellent job organizing the event, committing to their focus of memorializing the Parkland victims, and supporting the survivors.

"High school students, when they have a purpose and a goal, they are focused, they are motivated and they rise to the occasion," she said. "These particular students did just that."

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